Best Uses for Old Antlers and Sheds

I’m sure most hunters can relate to this hoarding dilemma. While I won’t just throw away a set of antlers, there are better ways to use them than as props in your garage. As the current pile at my house will attest, I’m no expert on the matter, but here are a few ways you can put that old bone to use.

A regular at the gun shop I worked at in college made custom knives. Occasionally, he would use antlers to fashion the handles. Whenever he ran low on the material, he’d try to trade for antlers with some of the locals or my coworkers. Sometimes he’d offer ammo. Other times, cash. Most people just gave him a few antlers at a time. But if you had a big pile of antlers, he’d offer to make you a knife, which is exactly what I did.

One of the antlers from my first deer burned, so I stashed the remaining side in my dad’s shed. I gave Jim (the knifemaker) a basket full of old sheds, and he made an excellent skinning knife with the antler from my first deer. That knife carries an obvious sentimentality with it. Jim has also died since then, so that makes the knife that much cooler to me.

Of course, this is just one example, but you get the point. If someone’s willing to buy antlers from you, then there’s a good chance you can convince them to swap them for something in return. That could be a cool knife, a box of ammo, or maybe even a good scope for the right antler(s). Regardless, either will serve you better than those antlers in your garage.

I’m not talking about people who make bottle openers or wine stoppers out of antlers to make a quick buck. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, or that those things aren’t creative. I’m thinking about local artists who might make mixed media, collages, or other creative installations. Ya know, the “art for art’s sake” that you might see in an exhibition, but aren’t necessarily commercialized pieces.

Yeah, those artists typically have a slower rate of return than the type of deer antler knick-knacks you find at a gas station. It’s not often that artists get a bone thrown their way, and I’m sure they’d appreciate a few of the dusty ones sitting in your garage.

Artists aside, there’s a lucrative market for antlers. If you’ve been wondering what to do with all those sheds in your shed, you might be able to turn a quick profit. Whether you have elk or deer antlers, buyers typically pay by the pound. Of course, the size and condition of the antlers will determine the price. A quick Google search revealed that prices can range anywhere from a few bucks to almost $20 per pound for the right shed.

While shed hunting’s popularity has increased over the last several years, it’s not totally from pure sport. A fresh, matching pair of elk sheds could fetch you a few hundred bucks. You can see why Western states have had to impose strict guidelines around shed hunting. Even if you don’t have a pristine and impressive set of antlers, you might have enough to cover a tank of gas.

This might be an obvious one, but every deer hunter should fashion themselves a pair of rattling antlers, even if you only plan to use them a handful of times. If nothing, they’re a conversation piece for when your non-hunting friends come over. This is also a good way to trim down your collection.

Pick a decent set that would make good rattling antlers and plan to sell, trade, or donate the rest. You’ll have a good pair for rattling and plenty of room for new finds. Just remember to saw the brow tines off so you don’t ram one through your thumb.